A Study In Musicals 2
by Elektra Elentari
Summary: School's out for summer and the Otters are ready to make it the time of their lives after landing jobs in a wealthy country club owned by Irene and Jim's family.
1. Chapter 1

**So um... I'm not dead. Hi. It's been over a year since I posted something, so a very long time since I posted the first part of this series, but I'm back. I've had a rough time and I'm honestly still recovering from it, but I'm back to writing and posting. To anyone following my Heir Of Slytherin series, it will probably remain discontinued for some more time, as I've lost inspiration for, but I'll try to continue as soon as I can. Anyway, enjoy this story, lovelies, and if you've been waiting for it for a while, I am so so sorry. I hope you'll enjoy it.**

 **Disclaimer (oh my God it's been so long): I own nothing.**

John Watson was thinking back on his year. It had been a long and eventful one. First of all, he had gone back to school in September and begun training with his basketball team, the Otters, for a big championship. It didn't go as planned, though, as John and his family made the decision that would change his life, they decided to spend Christmas in Edinburgh. Had that not happened, John wasn't sure if he would have met Sherlock Holmes.

Sherlock was a boy John's age. They had met at a ski lodge in Edinburgh on New Year's Eve. They had been chosen by chance to sing karaoke together. Even though they started without wanting to, in the end they got on very well.

Then, Sherlock's brother got a new job that transferred them to London. The job was, according to Sherlock, being the British government. Sherlock was put into John's High School and both their lives turned upside down.

Their drama teacher, Miss Wenceslas had been organising a musical for that winter and almost by accident, John and Sherlock decided to audition for the lead roles. It had seemed very strange to John's team and the science club, which Sherlock had joined, because they thought that by doing that, the boys wouldn't pay as much attention as they should to their goals, John winning the championship and Sherlock the scholastic decathlon.

In the end, though, they came to their senses and together, both teams teamed up to help them get to the audition and sing their song. The composer, Soo Lin Yao, had been so happy by the way they sang that she was so relieved when in the end they actually got the roles.

Playing in the musical was as exciting. While this was going on, Sherlock and John realised that they had more than friendly feelings for one another and got together. It was great to even play it. The comments on the play were amazing, the audience thought that it was a great decision they made to present a play in which the main couple was a homosexual one.

The only down side of it might have been that the school diva, Irene Adler, and her cousin, Jim Moriarty, would probably never forgive them for stealing 'their' roles. They had repeatedly picked on them for the rest of the year, but Molly Hooper had an interesting theory about Irene. She claimed that she had a secret huge crush on Sherlock, not that any of the boys believed it.

But one of the most interesting things about this year was being kidnapped by Sherlock's brother, Mycroft. When John said kidnapped, he really meant kidnapped. He had been on his way home when he noticed a black car following him. At first he had decided to ignore it, but then it kept following him and finally it stopped. A woman walked out and told him to get in.

He did and they drove away until they reached a dark street. John thought that someone must be playing a joke on him, but then he saw Mycroft leaning on an umbrella. The two had met before, but it hadn't been a very friendly meeting. Just before it, John had accidently broken Sherlock's heart by saying something he hadn't wished to say so Mycroft didn't trust him now.

John could still remember the events of that evening.

 _"_ _John Watson," Mycroft had greeted him._

 _"_ _Mycroft," John had answered, "Why didn't you call me? You probably know my number."_

 _"_ _Oh, yes, I do. As well as many other things you probably don't want me to know."_

 _John had lost it at this. Maybe Mycroft really_ was _the British government after all. But he did have the same deducting skills as Sherlock, the skills of being able to know everything about someone simply by looking at them._

 _"_ _Well," he had then asked, "Why did you call me to a dark alley?"_

 _"_ _We need to talk," replied Mycroft._

 _"_ _About what?"_

 _"_ _Sherlock."_

 _"_ _What about him?"_

 _"_ _Why don't we take it from the beginning?"_

 _John realised that there were even chairs there. He sat down and Mycroft took the seat opposite him. Once they were sitting down, Mycroft continued talking._

 _"_ _As we both know," he said, "You did something you didn't want to a month ago by hurting my brother's feelings."_

 _"_ _It's exactly as you say," John interrupted him, "I didn't-"_

 _"_ _I know," the older Holmes brother cut him, "But you did. Now, you are together and I must admit I haven't seen Sherlock this happy since the time our parents were still alive, and that's a long time ago."_

 _John looked down at that. He remembered learning about Sherlock's parents' death and him crying in his arms when he'd told him about the events and what had followed._

 _"_ _I'm grateful of that," Mycroft said, "Don't mistake me, I am. And I should thank you. I wouldn't have been able to do that. But you saw how he was after you hurt him. He was even worse when our parents died and I never want to see him like that again._

 _"_ _What I ask of you is to do everything you can to make sure of that. Promise me, John Watson, that you will not hurt him that way again. I want you to promise me that no matter what, I will never see my baby brother like that again because of you. Can you promise me that?"_

 _It had hurt John's feelings when he heard that Mycroft actually thought that he might do any of those things. All he wanted was to make Sherlock happy and he would do everything he could to do that._

 _"_ _I swear," he said, "I will never do that. I want his happiness as much as you do. I care about him so much, Mycroft. I would give everything to make sure he is never sad again. Do I have your trust?"_

 _Mycroft had taken a while considering this._

 _"_ _You do," he finally said and offered him his hand. They shook hands and then Mycroft pointed towards the car._

 _"_ _Anthea will take you home," he said, "And one more thing. Don't let Sherlock know we had this talk. He will most likely have my head for it."_

 _John nodded, trying not to laugh. Sherlock was the most stubborn person he had ever met, but he loved that, he really did. He said goodbye to Mycroft and left just as he had arrived._

He had thought about this conversation and hoped that he was keeping his promise, he didn't want to let Mycroft down. He had trusted him with his brother's happiness and well-being.

Now, he was sitting in class. They were in class with Miss Wenceslas, the last lesson of the year before summer. He looked around, everyone's eyes were glued to the clock which was hanging on the wall, above Wenceslas' head. It was actually a theatre prop, designed to look like the Big Ben.

It was ticking, getting closer and closer to pointing 16.00, the time that they would leave school and not return for another two months. But Wenceslas had said that she would keep on teaching until the end of the lesson and she really meant it.

"Learning is never seasonal," she was saying, "So do allow the shimmering light of summer to refresh and illuminate your fertile young minds. Your future greets you with its magic mirror, reflecting each golden moment, each emboldened choice. So use these incipient summer days and weeks wisely and well…"

"Miss Wenceslas has snapped her cap," John whispered to his best friend Greg Lestrade.

"You're actually listening?" Greg asked surprised.

Just like Greg, no one was paying attention. Irene was talking to Jim.

"Jim," she said to him, "This semester of disappointment and humiliation now comes to a screeching halt, and the future begins! And that means…"

But Jim wasn't listening to her either. Like the rest of the class, he was counting the seconds until the bell rang. Wenceslas had suddenly started talking about summers.

"Summers have passed fleetingly since I was your age," she said, "Yet, I recall them with poignant clarity, so-"

She stopped because Henry Knight had raised his hand.

"Yes, Henry?" she asked him.

"What's your favourite summer memory, Miss Wenceslas?" he asked.

John face palmed as the rest of the class turned to Henry. "COME ON! WHY?!" they exclaimed.

Wenceslas however giggled and started talking dreamily. "Ah, yes," she said, "The Ashland Shakespeare Festival of '88 leaps fondly to mind. In fact…"

Next to John, Greg had started muttering, "Summer, summer!" John looked at the clock. It was almost time.

"Summer, summer!" Sarah Sawyer had joined Greg.

"Summer!" Soo Lin was the next to start muttering along with them, she had really come out of her shell since the audition.

One by one, Sherlock, Molly, Irene, Jim, Sebastian Wilkes and the whole class joined them. In less than two minutes, the whole class was staring at the clock and chanting.

The bell rang. It was 16.00 o' clock. Summer had begun.

 **Here it is! I hope it lived up to everyone's expectations. Comment and let me know! I love you all so much!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry this took over a week. I moved recently and my new place has no internet so I've been searching for it. Huge thanks to DSCWin and crankthatphan for reviewing and showing love to this story. I'm honoured that you guys are still here after the last story, even though it's been so long.**

The hallways were flooded by students. They were talking to their friends, discussing their holiday plans. A few had similar ones. Their High School had recommended they try to find a summer job so that they would get used to working, university was coming up.

"We thought we'd all get a job at the same place as a science club," Molly was telling Soo Lin and a couple of Otters, "But Sherlock isn't cooperating."

"What's he doing?" Greg asked her.

"Being himself," Molly said teasingly but in a friendly tone at the same time.

"There's no work for a consulting detective," Sherlock decided to defend himself. Molly playfully rolled her eyes.

"You want to be a detective?" Soo Lin asked him.

"A _consulting_ detective," he corrected her.

"Soo Lin, what are you planning to do this summer?" Molly asked her.

"Grow. Write Music. Grow!" Soo Lin said, emphasising on the word grow. She was the tiniest in their class. Molly laughed and pat her shoulder.

Sherlock decided to break away from the group, he didn't like too many people together. Without telling anyone, he left and went to his locker. He'd put a box full of chemistry experiments in it at the beginning of the year and had to take it home today. Other than that, the locker was filled with books and, to the surprise of anyone who opened it, a skull.

The skull was his friend, the only one he'd had before meeting John. It usually lived in his bedroom, but he carried it in his schoolbag every day and left it in his locker when he got there, a trade he'd picked up since he went to his old school in Edinburgh. Few people knew about the skull, only John and Molly.

He unlocked the locker and put down his bag to open it. He pulled the skull out and put it in his bag before zipping it up again. Next, he took out the box and placed it on the ground next to him. He looked for anything he might have forgotten.

In the back, there was a book he must have missed when he'd started cleaning it out. He reopened his bag and put it in. Then he saw a slip of paper, someone must have slipped it in. He picked it up and unfolded it. It only had one word written on it, _freak_.

Sherlock winced. He folded the piece of paper and tore it into as many tiny pieces as he could. It was probably another note from Sally Donovan or Phillip Anderson. They didn't like him and had made a habit of calling him a freak since he had deduced that Anderson had been cheating on his girlfriend with Donovan in front of said girlfriend.

It brought bad memories to him, but at least he had John. After he couldn't even count in how many pieces he'd torn the letter, he stuffed them in the pocket of his coat. He was going to throw them in the bin at home. He was glad the school didn't have a uniform, he'd never felt comfortable in one and it meant that he could wear his coat, which was his favourite piece of clothing.

He flung his bag over his shoulder, picked up the box and turned around. He almost dropped it in surprise.

"Thought you'd be here," John said. He'd been standing behind him the whole time and he hadn't even noticed. Seeing that his boyfriend was facing a problem with closing the locker and holding the box at the same time, he did it for him.

"Thanks," Sherlock said.

John was no fool. He knew when something troubled Sherlock no matter how well he could hide his emotions from everyone else. And he knew exactly what was troubling him. "Another note?" he asked him.

"Yeah," Sherlock answered and looked down.

"Sherlock," John said, lifting his head so he could look him in the eyes, even though he was actually taller than him, "They're idiots. Don't listen to whatever they might say."

"But it was so obvious," Sherlock said, "I mean, Anderson's sleeves were more folded when he was with Donovan and when she saw-"

"Yes, Sherlock, I know," John said, "Just ignore them, they're just jealous because they're not as clever as you."

Sherlock smiled. John smiled back at him and gave him a soft kiss. He didn't care if they were in the hallway, it wasn't as if they were a secret.

"Now, I don't want to see you like that, the holidays are here," he said when they broke the kiss, "After I come back from basketball camp, we'll see movies, download music, a little karaoke, and I'm definitely teaching you a twisted flip on the skateboard."

"Only if I get to hear you play the clarinet first," Sherlock said as if the note was totally forgotten.

John laughed. "There's no way you could figure that out," he said, but he knew he was wrong.

"When does basketball camp end?" Sherlock asked.

"Sooner than you think," John assured him, "Worse comes to worst, we just chill. As long as we spend summer together, it's all good."

"Promise?" Sherlock asked thinking that he must sound stupid.

"Promise," John answered. Then, he opened his bag and pulled something out, it was a small gift box. He gave it to Sherlock. "It's a bit out of season," he told him, "But I remembered you saying that you wanted one for the winter."

Sherlock placed his box on the ground, took the one John had given him and opened it. He smiled at the content, it was a blue scarf. He remembered he'd told John that he needed one because they were considering going to Edinburgh for the next Christmas holidays and it was very cold there.

"Thank you," he told John and, however weird it may have seemed to anyone who saw them, put it on. It was soft and comfortable.

"I don't think I can wait 'til Christmas to wear it," he said and John laughed.

* * *

Meanwhile, Irene was going to her locker, Jim following her. Being the most popular girl in school, she had a locker which was two times bigger than the regular ones. It was like a closet because she kept clothes and accessories she might need inside it.

She got to it and fidgeted with the lock to open it. Even the lock was different to the others. It was an electronic one. She pressed a button to turn it on. When it did, the words

I AM

LOCKED

appeared. She quickly typed her password and opened the locker. She chose a red lipstick and a hand mirror and began covering her lips with it.

"Relax, Irene," Jim told her, "It's summer. You get to do whatever you want. Everything changes."

But Irene wasn't listening to him. She was trying to think of some plan to capture one of the High School's most handsome boy in her nets. He was a difficult one, though. With most, all she had to do was simply smile at them and they would fall instantly. This one, didn't. And she had to change that.

"Exactly," she said to her cousin, "Everything _will_ change."

She put the lipstick and mirror in her purse and shut the locker. She walked away, an idea suddenly in her head. And she wanted to use it even more when she saw both boys leaving the school.

Trying her best to not look as irritated as she was, she looked away. They weren't going to last the summer with the plan she had in mind. She pulled her phone out of her handbag and typed a number. She brought it to her ear and waited until they answered it.

"Hey, dad," she greeted the man on the other line.

 **And that's that. Of course I had to stick that SHERlocked thing in the story, I can't leave it out! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. If you did and want to make me very very happy, write me a review. Constructive criticism is also welcome, as long as you're not too mean because ya gal is emotional and a crybaby XD See you again soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry sorry sorry. I genuinely forgot to update. *hides behind laptop* But I did now!**

Two weeks later, the Otters had come back from basketball camp. Coach Watson and John had decided to let them go to their house for a little party before leaving to go to their summer jobs the next day. Problem was, no one had found one yet.

"What I saw out there just now looks very, very strong, guys," the Coach told them as they entered the house, "Camp really stepped up your game!"

"What team?" Greg called out.

"Otters!" they all answered.

"SHUT UP!" John's sister Harry shouted from her room.

Greg jumped even though he was used to Harry since he'd known John for years. The rest of the Otters simply laughed. John rolled his eyes. They'd told her that they would be bringing the team over. Harry had simply chosen the wrong day to be experiencing a hangover.

Suddenly, John's phone started ringing.

"Uh-oh, boyfriend alert!" Greg commented as John answered it.

John ignored him. "Hello?" he said.

"This is Bob Frankland over at Lava Springs," a male voice he didn't recognise as one he knew answered, "I understand you've been looking for summer work?"

"Hey, John," Sebastian called out to him, "Does Sherlock still remember your name, or did he sing karaoke with someone new on vacation?"

Annoyed because he couldn't hear very well, John motioned to them to stop talking. "That sounds fantastic, Mr. Frankland," he said on the phone, "But how did you get my name?"

"We've always had a student summer work program here at Lava Springs," Frankland said without replying to his question, "Go Otters!"

"Here's the thing," John said, remembering that Sherlock hadn't found a job either and that he'd promised to spend some time with him, "I know this amazing boy…I mean, student…straight A's, quintuple straight A's, and he's looking for a job, too, and it'd be so amazingly perfect if…" He walked outside to get a bit more privacy.

"He's really working someone," Greg commented.

"It can't be Sherlock," Coach Watson said to him, "He never calls, he always texts. And when he does, John just blushes. I never said that!"

Just then, John walked back in, putting his phone back into his pocket. He was smiling as if he'd done something important.

"What's up mate?" Greg asked him.

"Up? What? Nothing," John said. He didn't convince him though.

To take his friend's thoughts away from him, John began bouncing his ball and throwing it to the other players. It took the Otters less than a minute to forget about everything but the game.

"Hey, not in the house!" Coach Watson called out to them when he saw them, "John's mother will be home in a minute, then we're all dead! I'll tell you what, though, you stick together this summer, work on the game and we're talking back-to-back championships next autumn!"

"Bet on it!" John said excitedly.

The peace and quiet didn't last too long. Mrs Watson was back home soon and the first thing she saw once she opened the door was twelve boys tackling each other on the floor.

"Do you think we can all redirect this energy toward carrying the groceries?" she asked putting on an exhausted voice.

They stopped what they were doing. "Yes, Mrs Watson!" they answered simultaneously. They took her bags from her and began putting the things away. Smiling, she decided to go have a shower.

"John," she said to her son, "Try to keep it down, please. Your sister has a headache and she won't like it at all if you start wrecking the house."

John rolled his eyes but promised her that they'd do their best.

* * *

Irene and Jim were being taken to Lava Springs. Irene's father and Jim's uncle had gotten a car to take them. They were going to do summer work there, since he owned the place. They'd gone there every summer since they were young, and it was the perfect place for a couple of Otters to work. It was the perfect place to put Irene's plan into action.

They finally got there. The driver opened the car door and they walked outside. Irene took a deep breath, it was time to act. Forgetting Jim was even with her, she strode towards the entrance where she saw Bob Frankland.

"Miss Adler, Mr. Moriarty," he greeted them, kissing Irene's hand, "Looking very sharp this summer."

"Thank you, Frankland," Irene answered, loving being treated like a princess, "Can you find some shade for our car?"

"Even if we have to plant a tree, Miss Adler," Frankland assured her, "I trust that your vacation was satisfactory?"

"Oh, yes," she answered happily, "Shopping and shows. Seven days, eight shows, eleven new pairs of shoes. However, it's good to be…home! Is it possible to get more colour in these gardens? I'm thinking yellows and blues!"

"Lovely!" Frankland agreed.

Smiling, Irene walked out towards the pool. She stopped to look at a sign which said _Lava Springs' Annual Midsummer Night's Star Dazzle Talent Show! Make Reservations Now!_

She had participated in this talent show for years and had always managed to win the Star Dazzle award. They had a shelf full of her trophies now. It was so full she doubted it would fit this year's one.

"I plan to limit member talent auditions to thirty seconds each," she informed Frankland, "Amateur performers are very…" she trailed off trying to think of the perfect word.

"Draining?" he proposed, and she nodded, "Understood!"

"And should I-we be so fortunate as to win the Star Dazzle award again…" she said pretending to sound hopeful, "Where would we put it?"

"We're planning to widen the trophy case," he assured her, "I have sketches in my office."

"You are so efficient!" she complimented him, "The staffing matter we discussed?" She was, of course, referring to having John work here for the summer. It was all part of her big plan.

"Handled, with discretion," he said to her.

"How…" she paused looking for the right word and found it, "Fabulous!"

She went the rest of the way to the pool. There, her three friends, Diana, Theresa and Roxanne were waiting for her. Jim liked to call them the Ireners, as they followed her around everywhere during the summer. The three girls informed her of the updates in the club, there was now another spa.

If everything worked out, which it would because it always did for her, she was about to have the best summer of her life. Even their chairs were in the right spots, Irene in the middle, Diana and Theresa west of her and Roxanne east. She ordered her favourite drink with extra ice.

"It's out with the old and in with the new

Goodbye clouds of grey, hello skies of blue

A dip in the pool, a trip to the spa

Endless days in my chaise

The whole world according to moi

Excuse me?

Thank you

Iced tea from home in England

Lifeguards imported from Spain

Towels imported from Turkey

And turkey imported from Maine."

She sang, feeling like showing her voice off to her friends. Jim was up for a song. They sung the next line together.

"We're gonna relax and renew."

But she decided to sing the next ones solo.

"You go do

I want fabulous, that is my simple request

All things fabulous, bigger and better and best

I need something inspiring to help me get along

I need a little fabulous, is that so wrong?

Fetch me my Jimmy Choo flip-flops

Where is my pink Prada tote?

I need my Tiffany hairband

And then I can go for a float."

Jim joined her again after that one.

"Summer like never before."

But she shushed him for the next one.

"I want more."

He wasn't going to give up, though. They sung the next parts together.

"She wants fabulous, that is her simple request

All things fabulous, bigger and better and best

She needs something inspiring to help her get along

She needs a little fabulous, is that so wrong?

Fabulous pool, fabulous splash

Fabulous parties even fabulous trash

Fabulous fashion, fabulous bling

She's got to have fabulous everything

Nothing to discuss

Everything's got to be perfect."

Leaving her cousin out Irene sang

"For me."

Irritated, Jim took the next part of the song for himself.

"She wants fabulous,

That is her simple request,

All things fabulous,

Bigger and better and best,

She needs something inspiring to help her get along,

She needs a little fabulous is that so wrong?"

As revenge, she sung alone.

"This won't do, that's a bore,

That's insulting, I need more!

I need, I need,

I need, I need,

I need, I need

I need fabulous!"

Diana, Theresa and Roxanne started singing like background singers for her.

"Fabulous Hair, fabulous style,

Fabulous eyes and that fabulous smile."

As they sang she saw John Watson walk into the grounds. She smiled and sung again.

"I like what I see,

I like it a lot."

She motioned for them to sing again and they did.

"Is this absolutely fabulous?"

Jim sung next.

"Fabulous, Fabulous, Fabulous?"

"Absolutely..."

Irene sang but then, what she saw caused her to stop singing and added, "Not!" but speaking. Jim also surprised, accidently pushed her into the pool in which she landed with a splash and a scream. This was because coming for a summer job at Lava Springs _was_ John Watson. But not alone. He was accompanied by all the Otters, the science club and Soo Lin Yao.

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


	4. Chapter 4

**This time it's on time!**

In Frankland's office, Irene was dripping wet and furious. Her makeup was dripping down her face, her hair a mess, and her expensive silk clothes would probably end up in the bin after their encounter with the pool. No one could find her precious charm bracelet.

She was furious by what she'd seen. She hadn't even thought about her looks when she stormed into his office. He hadn't been expecting to see her. What's more, in the state she was now. He had tried not to jump in fright when he saw her.

Almost as soon as she entered the office and shut the door, she started yelling at him. "I asked you to hire John Watson, not the entire High School student body!" she growled.

"John Watson was insistent that Mr. Holmes and his friends have a job," he tried to defend himself. He was doing very well, though.

Irene squealed in anger and stomped her heel on the ground. She began walking around the office while running her hands through her black hair. "Rah-rah, sis-boom-bah!" she mumbled, unaware that she was talking gibberish.

"You told me whatever it takes to hire John Watson," Frankland tried again, "Well, this is what it took!"

"Why didn't you warn me about the rest of them?" she protested.

"I _did_ discuss the matter with the Lava Springs board, of course," Frankland said, knowing that this would make her stop. It did. She stopped pacing and relaxed.

Jim, who had been sitting in the corner quietly all this time, turned to face him.

"The board…" he repeated, "You mean, my…"

"AUNT BETHANY!" Irene screamed angrily and left the room even angrier than when she'd entered it. Jim sighed exhaustedly and followed her.

Bethany Moriarty was Jim's mother and Irene's aunt, her father's sister. She had known her since she was a baby and she was something like a second mother to her. She was in charge of the Lava Springs staff which was why only people Irene and Jim liked were actually hired. At the moment, she was at her yoga class. She most certainly hadn't expected her niece and son to come storming in and interrupting the lesson.

"Aunt Bethany," Irene started, and Bethany noticed that she was soaking wet, "You allowed Frankland to hire half the High School."

"Irene, darling," she said in reply, "You're dripping all over."

"Why?" Irene insisted. Bethany sighed and excused herself from the lesson.

"I thought it would be a lovely surprise, my darlings," she said to both of them once they were outside, "When Mr. Frankland informed me that John Watson wanted more Otters here, I thought, how brilliant!"

"Brilliant?" Irene exclaimed, obviously believing the complete opposite.

"Think about the future, kitten," Bethany said, she had always liked spoiling her niece, "These are chums, not the fuddy-duddy Lava Springs members."

"These are not my chums!" she protested, "They'll steal my summer show!"

"And what fresh talent you'll have for your Star Dazzle show!" her aunt tried to rationalise her.

"Aunt Bethany, did you hear what I just said?! Jim, talk to your mother!" Irene ordered her cousin.

Jim left where he'd been standing behind her and went to his mother. He waved at her. "Hi, mum!" he told her, faking excitement, his mother could be very irritating at times.

"Jimmy!" she exclaimed and squashed him into a tight hug, "How's my dashing boy? Tell your cousin that if she worries too much, she'll get frown lines."

"Told her twice!" he answered.

Irene huffed and left, heading back to Frankland's office. This was going nowhere. She needed all those Otters to leave, her plan would fail if they didn't.

"I want them out!" she said when she was inside again.

"Your aunt specifically said…" he said but she interrupted him.

"Don't mention that backstabbing yogini to me!" she said menacingly. She needed them out. And that was when the idea came to her. She was getting smarter this summer. "If you can't fire them, make them want to quit!" she ordered Frankland.

"Actually, we do need the help," he said.

"Well," she said, yet again coming up with something, "If they think working here is going to be summer camp, they're in for a surprise!"

* * *

In the Lava Springs kitchen, the Otters were changing into their new working outfits. Working in the kitchen wasn't exactly what they'd expected when John had told them that he'd found them a job. Sebastian was the only one who really was excited.

"Chef Gustave is going to teach me the art of Austrian flake pastry," he said as he skipped around the kitchen happily, "And Irene's going to be where I work. How much better can summer get?"

Greg snorted. "A real dream come true!" he said sarcastically.

"If you actually get to know her, she's-" Sebastian said. His crush on Irene was well known throughout the whole school.

"Mate," Greg interrupted him, "Be my guest!"

"Hey," John said feeling somewhat responsible for the mess they were in, "I had no idea about Irene. Mr. Frankland just said there were Otter fans at Lava Springs and jobs were available. So, let's go for it!"

Frankland walked in holding a list. On the list were written their jobs for the summer. "Confirming assignments," he said, and everyone turned to him, "Lestrade and Watson, waiters and, when needed, caddies. Henry and Matt, dishwashers. Mr. Holmes, lifeguard. Miss Hooper, I'm told you're efficient…You'll handle member activities. Keep me in sight at all times. Soo Lin, piano at lunchtime and cocktail hour. That means mood music, not new music. Sarah, chopping, cutting, and preparing plates. Please complete the summer with the equal number of digits that I assume you currently possess. Sebastian, you'll assist Chef Gustave in…"

"The promised land," Sebastian said dreamily.

He was still the only one satisfied. No one seemed very excited about their job. John was too busy trying not to laugh at hearing that Sherlock was going to be a lifeguard. He would probably try to see how long someone can go without drowning while they cannot swim as an experiment.

"Um, Mr. Frankland, your Excellency," Greg said to the boss, "Is it okay if we draw straws to see who has to wait on Irene?"

"Henceforth, none of you will be waiting on Irene," he said, and they sighed a sigh of relief at the sound of that, "You'll be serving Miss Adler!" Some boys drew back in fright.

"What's that?" Henry Knight asked. John face palmed.

"Always address our members as Mr, Mrs, or Miss," Frankland instructed them, "Let's practice." He turned to Henry. "Miss Adler, would you care for lemonade?" he asked.

"Actually, I'm not Miss Adler," Henry answered, "I'm Henry!"

Everyone sighed, and John felt like slapping himself. Frankland looked shocked at the least. He cleared his throat, gave them a small smile and left the kitchen.

"This is going to be a long summer!" Molly commented once he was gone.

"Yep!" Sherlock agreed, "Lifeguard! Do I look like a lifeguard?"

"You got that right!" Soo Lin said in reply to Molly. She was feeling hurt that she couldn't perform the new music she'd written to an audience.

"Guys," John decided to try and lift their spirits, "There's a hoop out back, we get two free meals a day, and we only wear geeky outfits when on duty. All for one, one for all. Come on now, it's our summer!"

They were finding John's words less encouraging than he'd hoped they would. Everyone was now pacing the kitchen trying to imagine what their summer might have been like.

John stood where he was, looking at his shoes. He couldn't dare to look up in fear of finding everyone's eyes on him. He hated that he was responsible for this. He'd tried to help and made things even more complicated than they already were. He bet Sherlock would never forgive him and he would have every right to do so.

It was dead quiet until Greg did something he never thought he would have unless someone had started it. He sang.

"How did we get from the top of the world

To the bottom of the heap?"

He sang, aiming the words to John who looked up him.

"I don't recall you mentioning

The boss is such a creep."

Molly sang before he could say anything to defend his position.

"We still have the ingredients to

Make this summer sweet."

Sebastian came to his aid but was pushed away by Sarah Sawyer.

"Well, I got rags instead of riches."

She complained.

"And all these dirty dishes."

Henry added sadly.

"Just wish I had three wishes."

All five of them sang.

Not liking seeing his boyfriend in such a difficult position, Sherlock decided to defend him. He stepped up between them and John. "Okay, guys, break it up," he told them.

But John had had it. Enough was enough! If they couldn't see that they could find a way to make even this fun, he would have to make them see it. He stepped in front of Sherlock.

"We've got to work, work

To work this out

We'll make things right,

The sun will shine

If we work, work

There'll be no doubt

We can still save the summer

If we work this out!"

He sang.

There was a pause. Everyone looked at him, trying to find a reply. Deep down, they knew that John was right.

"What have you gotten us into?" was the only thing Greg managed to say.

"Come on, we can totally turn this thing around," John told him, putting on a smile.

"We're a champion team,

A well-oiled machine,

And we've faced tougher

Problems than this.

I know it's a grind, but

I'm sure we can find

A way to have fun while

We get this job done.

We've got to work, work

To work this out."

He sang. He was surprised to hear Sherlock join him.

"We'll make things right

The sun will shine

If we work, work

There'll be no doubt

We can still save the summer."

They sang. That seemed to get them going.

"If we work this out!"

John, Sherlock, Greg and Molly sang together.

Finally, they were beginning to see some sense. Maybe this summer wouldn't be so bad after all. At least he could still get to spend time with Sherlock. After all, he could still remember the words Sherlock had spoken to him on their way to the club. _"I want to remember this summer, John."_ he'd said to him. And John was going to make sure he did.

Right when they were about to go for an afternoon break for lunch, he stopped him at the door. "Miss me?" he asked and without allowing him time to answer continued, "Of course you did!" Sherlock rolled his eyes at his boyfriend but smiled.

"Have you ever been on a golf course?" John asked him.

"Golf is a sport in which a small hard ball is struck with a club into a series of small holes in the ground, the only object being to use the fewest strokes to complete the course," Sherlock informed him, "Not the best thing ever invented."

"Great," John answered, "So you're coming."

Minutes later, the two were sitting together at the golf course. They were talking, enjoying each other's company, when Frankland appeared. "Frolicking in a golf course," he said, mostly addressing Sherlock, "We aren't getting on a good start, are we, Mr. Holmes?"

"Actually, sir," John tried to interfere, "This was my idea." He didn't want Sherlock getting the blame for something that wasn't his fault. The taller boy was clenching his fists in frustration.

"Irrelevant," Frankland told him, "We won't allow this to happen again, will we?"

They both shook their heads. They had to be more careful next time.


	5. Chapter 5

Soo Lin was playing the new piece she'd written for the evening. That's what she was supposed to do, but she was secretly playing another piece, one no one knew of apart from her. She played it and sang softly to herself.

She was lucky this place had a piano or she didn't know how she would spend her days. It was boring just washing dishes all day. She needed an escape and she'd found it. She played her own music when she was supposed to be practising other pieces, composing something and then playing it.

She didn't notice the two boys walking into the room. When she did, she quickly changed piece and started playing something totally different. She somehow still managed to make it sound normal.

"Sounding good!" Sherlock said, and he meant it. John nodded. Soo Lin smiled brightly.

"Really?" she asked them.

"Yeah," John assured her, "It's great!"

"Actually," she suddenly remembered, "I have to get ready for the ladies' bridge luncheon. I won't exactly be rocking out. But we'll all really have fun in the club's talent show, because employees do a number and I've got ideas for everyone…You guys can sing lead, and Sebastian and Greg and everyone can do backup and maybe dance too, and…"

What even Sherlock didn't know was that they were being watched by Jim Moriarty who was using a walkie talkie to communicate with his cousin.

"Woman," he said, using nicknames, "This is Daddy. We may have trouble."

Oblivious to what was going on outside, the boys and Soo Lin kept talking. "Club talent show?" John exclaimed, "Whoa, whoa! Big time-out on that one. My singing career began and ended with the Winter Musical. I'm only here to make a check and sneak into the pool after work."

The girl's face dropped. "Oh," she mumbled and picked her papers up.

"What was that piece you were playing a minute ago?" Sherlock asked her. Oops, so they'd heard her.

"Oh…" she said, hastily, "Nothing. It's really just…nothing!"

But Sherlock wasn't giving up. "What's this about?" he asked.

She took a deep breath. "I was thinking if you guys did a show next year at school…" she admitted, "You know…I wanted to be ready." She had been hoping they would work together again some time, it had been a wonderful cooperation last time. But John had said that he wasn't interested in the show.

"No offence," Sherlock said, trying not to say anything wrong, "But how many plays can you write without our anti-racism meaning getting too repetitive?"

She blushed, she hadn't thought of that. "Unless, of course, John wears a dress," he added, and she burst out laughing while John glared at him with a look that could kill. But really, he liked hearing Sherlock's humour, even if it was at his own expense.

"You want the bad news or the good news?" Jim asked Irene from his hiding place, behind a plant.

"Just spill it, Jim!" she answered angrily, "I'm busy!"

"I heard Soo Lin working on an amazing new song," he said, "And she didn't write it for us! But the good news is that John announced that he doesn't want anything to do with our Star Dazzle Show!"

"Well, can we at least hear the song you're working on?" Sherlock asked sweetly, "It does have our name on it…"

Soo Lin turned a bright red, even brighter than the previous one. That boy missed nothing. It was actually true, she had written _Sherlock & John_ at the top of the sheet. But she didn't feel like saying no, so she started playing.

Since neither of them had ever heard the song before, she decided to sing the first few words of the ballad to make sure they got the beat right.

"Nananana

Nananana

Yeah

You are the music in me

You know the words 'once upon a time'

Make you listen.

There's a reason."

She sang softly, and Sherlock tried joining in next. He actually got it all right.

"When you dream there's a chance you'll find

A little laughter or happy ever after."

They sang together. Soo Lin then decided that she could let it flow on its own. John started singing as the boys sang together.

"Your harmony to the melody

It's echoing inside my head

A single voice

Above the noise

And like a common thread."

Then, he sang on his own.

"Mmm, you're pulling me."

Then Sherlock.

"When I hear my favourite song

I know that we belong."

Then John again.

"Oh, you are the music in me

Yeah it's living in all of us."

Then both of them.

"Yeah it's brought us here because

Because you are the music in me

Nananana oh

Nananana

Yeah yeah yeah

You are the music in me."

Then Sherlock.

"It's like I knew you before we met

Can't explain

There's no name for it."

Then both again.

"I'm saying words that I never said

And it was easy

Cause you see the real me

As I am

You understand

And that's more than I ever had."

Then again Sherlock.

"To hear your voice

Above the noise."

Both again.

"I know, I'm not alone

Oh, you're singing to me

When I hear my favourite song

I know that we belong

You are the music in me

It's living in all of us

And it's brought us here because

You are the music in me

Together we're gonna sing

We've got the power to sing what we feel

Connected and real."

Then Sherlock.

"Can't keep it all inside."

And finally, Soo Lin couldn't help but joining them again. All three of them finished the song together.

"Nananana

Nananana

Yeah yeah yeah

You are the music in me

Nananana

Nananana

Nananana

You are the music in me

When I hear my favourite song

I know that we belong

You are the music in me

It's living in all of us

It's brought us here because

You are the music in me

Nananana

Nananana

Nananana

You are the music in me."

Soo Lin stopped playing, smiling fondly at them. Somehow, they always managed to sing every single song they sang so wonderfully. Perhaps it was because they really were so in love (she could tell, even if the boys hadn't said anything, yet). She couldn't help but notice that they'd actually inched closer and closer throughout the entire song. She wondered if it had merely been a coincidence or if it had been on purpose.

"I enjoyed that song!" Sherlock announced, and she chuckled. John nodded and they kissed. For the third time in less than an hour, Soo Lin blushed and turned away, feeling as if she was intervening in their private moment.

"I've got the talent show sign-up sheet right here," they broke apart when hearing Molly's voice, "The kitchen staff said it's really fun. How about it?"

Soo Lin and Sherlock nodded. Then, they turned to John. He shrugged. "Well, I guess we could croak something out if we had to," he said, "But, it's got to be all of us!"

"It will be," Molly assured him and they high fived.


End file.
